Jonathan Marchessault joined the Nashville Predators as one of the front office’s biggest bets to revitalize the team’s offense after several inconsistent seasons. The 34-year-old veteran signed as a free agent in 2024, shortly after his contract with the Vegas Golden Knights expired, a franchise with which he won the Stanley Cup in 2023.
His arrival generated great excitement among fans in Tennessee, who hoped the experienced winger would help raise the offensive level and lead a group that also added Steven Stamkos and Brady Skjei. However, in his first year in Nashville, Marchessault’s performance did not meet expectations after a long stint with the Golden Knights.
The Predators missed the playoffs last season, and now Nashville head coach Andrew Brunette has analyzed the challenges faced by both Marchessault and Stamkos, who were recently acquired by the franchise.
What did Brunette say about Marchessault on the Predators?
“Last year, it was hard early on because I still think their hearts were in Vegas and Tampa. Now it’s their team. I think the pride that comes when you say, ‘This is my team,’ I think you’ll get the best version of them,” Predators head coach Brunette said to NHL.com when referring to Marchessault, also including Stamkos in his statement.
Jonathan Marchessault of the Predators
Despite putting pressure on Marchessault to be better next season, Brunette has shown compassion regarding his slow adaptation. “It takes some time. They won Cups and did some pretty remarkable things where they came from. Change is always hard,” he added, once again referring to both Marchessault and Stamkos.
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How did Marchessault and Stamkos perform in their first year in Nashville?
Marchessault performed below his career average, playing 78 games and recording 21 goals and 35 assists (a total of 56 points). Stamkos, for his part, played in all 82 regular-season games, tallying 27 goals and 26 assists.
